Stephen Bradley: 'When we go one up now, I don't get nervous and you can see that in the players'

The season for Shamrock Rovers has oscillated between good and poor but the signs are that the Hoops are progressing.

The table reflects that situation after their 2-0 win in Limerick on Tuesday night which sees them in fourth place with 12 wins and 11 defeats either side of just the two draws (see match report here).

Having lost their last two home league games to Derry City and Bohemians, Stephen Bradley’s men have now won three in a row across three different competitions, keeping a clean sheet in each of those victories.

They have the chance to move to within two points of third place Derry City before the Candystripes play again.

“I think people got carried away when we lost to Derry,” said Stephen Bradley when he spoke exclusively to extratime.ie after the final whistle about the race for European qualification.

“We obviously didn’t enjoy that loss but I thought we played well. The week before against Bohs we were terrible but against Derry we were good.

“We got beat and people thought it was over but I’ve been in this league long enough to know there is too much that happens in the last round of games.

“I said to the lads when we had a meeting if we win our two next games, we will be two points behind them before they play on Sunday against Dundalk.

“It is game on. We need to go and look after ourselves on Friday and let’s see what happens. We are by no means out of it.”

One of the low points for Rovers this season, was the Hoops’ abject second half home performance against the Blues in late April.

Rovers conceded a late equaliser after defending a 1-0 lead way too deep, with the final whistle in that game prompting boos to ring out around Tallaght.

Bradley believes his team are a different prospect now and the recent performances and results such as against Limerick goes some way to show that (albeit against a side with only one win in eight).

Having gone 1-0 up four minutes before the break through David McAllister’s fourth goal of the season, Rovers dominated the second period – earning seven corners alone in the second half – with Ronan Finn doubling Rovers’ lead just before the hour mark.

“I spoke before the game that we are a different team then when we played Limerick at home when we conceded late.

“In Tallaght we were nervous and didn’t understand how we were going to play and defend that lead.

“Whereas tonight it shows where we are going. We are nowhere near where we want to get to but we showed how to defend a 1-0 lead. We went and played and were ruthless.

“You know when you are progressing as a team. When we go one up now, I don’t get nervous and you can see that in the players.

“They are a lot more comfortable in defending a 1-0 lead. Instead of dropping deep and hoping, we stay high, defend and are brave. We want the ball.”

Having played a back-three in the FAI Cup First Round win last Friday against Glenville, Rovers reverted to a back four and Bradley was pleased with how the centre back partnership between David Webster and new signing Lee Grace is building.

“We knew they had pace wide with Dean Clarke and Lee Lynch on the other side. We had go with a back four as with a three they could have hurt us. [Webster and Grace] are starting to understand each other’s game.

“Lee is only getting to understand how we defend in terms of a back four and that we don’t play much offside. I believe he will only get stronger and better.”

With Graham Burke suspended, Ryan Connolly was played in a most offensive role. James Doona came in for only his second league start of the season, having scored the winner against Cork City off the bench in the recent Bank Holiday Monday EA Sports semi-final.

“Ryan has played most of his career for Galway in that position and has scored goals against us from there.

!He has been doing a different role for us this year but we put him there tonight and I thought he was excellent. He got free, got on the ball and made us play.

“James has done well when he has come off the bench so he has been unfortunate that Brandon (Miele) has been really good and Trevor (Clarke) has been good playing either left or right.

“James has been patient, worked hard and when he has come in, like tonight, I thought he was very good.”

Hoppy Rovers after two nil win - all 17 of them!!! Diarmuid Greene pic.twitter.com/cH1p3pSnxQ

— Sportsfile (@sportsfile) August 15, 2017